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THBLakota Figural Three-Bladed War Club From the Collection of Jim Ritchie (1938 - 2015), Toledo, Ohio
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6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
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About Auction
LiveApr 8, 2016 - Apr 9, 2016
Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
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- Lot Description
Lakota Figural Three-Bladed War Club From the Collection of Jim Ritchie (1938 - 2015), Toledo, Ohio
the handle is carved with the image of a Thunderbird and embellished with red, black, and yellow pigment. Approximately 134 square shanked brass tacks are placed in horizontal and diagonal rows near blades. Tacks also create a horse track, cross, and circle on handle; handle pierced twice for attachments; three butcher knife blades marked J.R. Russell & Co./ Green River Works are inset to club, overall length 48 in., length of blade 6.75 in.
ca 1870
Records of three-bladed weapons do not seem to appear until after the Civil War and remained popular until the 1880 (Taylor 2001: 24). Many of this style of club were noted to have been collected during this wartime period (Taylor 2001:24; Hanson 1975: 36-37). Although the earlier and more ubiquitous gunstock club is single-bladed with a much smaller handle and more versatile in hand-to-hand combat, the formidable knife club could be wielded easily from horseback evoking power and prestige. As a bold and unique object, only men of high rank and prestige possessed such weapons.
The size and strength of the weapon is symbolically obvious to an outsider, however to the one who carries it, the iconography on the club also embodies the piece and owner with power.
The main image and summoned spirit of this club is a Thunderbird. According to ethnologist Reverend J. Owen Dorsey (1848-1995), thunderbirds have large, curved beaks, resembling bison humps; their voices are loud, they do not open their eyes wide except when they make lightning, and they have wings. They can kill various mysterious beings, as well as human beings. Their ancient foes were the giant rattle snakes and the Un-kche-ghi-la or water monsters, whose bones are now found in the bluffs of Nebraska and Dakota (Chamberlain 1890: 54). A warrior would be in good company by channeling this spirit.
The addition of the tacked horse track, cross, and sacred circle on the handle are also elements of power and prayers for power (Penney 1992: 70).
A similar knife club is in the collections of the Royal Ontario Museum (ca 1875: collection number ROM2005_5582_5).Chamberlain, A.F. 1890. "The Thunder-Bird Amongst the Algonkins". American Anthropologist Vol.A3:1 (pp 51-54).
Hanson, James. 1975. Metal Weapons, Tools, and Ornaments of the Teton Dakota Indians. University of Nebraska Press.
Penney, David W. 1992. "The Horse as Symbol: Equine Representations in Plains Pictographic Art". In Visions of the People: A Pictorial History of Plains Indian Life. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. University of Washington Press (pp 69-79).
Seeman, Mark F. 2004. "Hopewell Art in Hopewell Places". In Hero, Hawk, and Open Hand. eds. Richard Townsend and Robert Sharp. Yale University Press (pp 57-71).
Taylor, Colin. 2001. Native American Weapons. University of Oklahoma Press.
Provenance: From the Collection of Jim Ritchie (1938 - 2015), Toledo, OhioCondition requests can be obtained via email (danica@cowans.com) or by telephone (513-871-1670). Please note, questions submitted the day of an auction may not be answered.Condition
Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Cowan's Auctions shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. - Shipping Info
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